Bastion

Posted: 07/19/11

In the aftermath of an event known as the calamity, Bastion's world is in pretty poor shape. As the silent protagonist known as The Kid, you'll construct a safe haven in the middle of the void by fighting monsters and retrieving cores which allow you to piece together a small chunk of land to call your own.

This reconstruction of the world is accomplished through 2D action-RPG gameplay with a clear link to classic games of a prior era, but Bastion establishes a unique identity almost immediately. Your actions are narrated by the sonorous voice of the nameless stranger, a fellow survivor, and pathways form in front of you as you walk, making it feel as though the world and story are being created as you play.

Bastion isn't a game about leveling up--truly prodigious amounts of monster slaying are required before each ding. Rather, it's a game about finding new things and putting them to good use. Fortunately there's a lot to find. You'll acquire new weapons and skills regularly right up to the very end of the game, mixing and matching combinations and experimenting with a flexible upgrade system that lets you meaningfully tweak each weapon to your desired purpose.

There's also a major skill element in play, consistently rewarding good timing with damaging counter-blocks or powered-up attacks. Each weapon or tool has its own hook, which helps keep the game's rhythm light exploration and heavy combat interesting through its six-to-10 hour run.

A town-building element enhances your sense of progression. There are no hard choices, but as you collect cores and rebuild your hub, each new element adds an extra dimension to the game. The weapon-enhancing forge is an obvious first pick, but the distillery offers an array of passive buffs as new brews are found or purchased. A shrine gives you an interesting way to dynamically affect the game's difficulty; invoking different gods makes enemies tougher but also offers increased rewards.

Though the game feels well conceived as a whole, there are a few shortcomings and limitations underneath its thoughtful and hardy design. The narrator is a good gimmick, but his constant commentary soon grows intrusive and doesn't quite match the game's visual tone. The beauty of the detailed environments sometimes obscures problems or pitfalls, and a few late-game revelations aren't quite what they're cracked up to be.

Capable and shaped to its purpose, Bastion proves a well-crafted and entertaining experience. Easily justifying its $15 price tag, this downloadable game offers a simple but complete package that's charming, playable, and worthwhile.

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